OSHA Regulations for Apparel and Textiles

1. National Institute of Fashion Technology,
Chennai
Presented By:
Abhishek Raj
Sarthak Sagar
Shriya Arora
Suneel Kumar
DFT-VII
Ergonomics
OSHA Regulation for Apparel and Textile
Department of Fashion Technology

2.  Ergonomics is a Greek word meaning:
 Ergo = “work”
 Nomos = “law”
 In a literal sense, it means “work laws.”
 Ergonomics is a science that focuses on designing a job for
the worker. An ergonomically-designed job would ensure
that a taller worker had enough space to safely perform his
or her job, and also that a shorter worker could reach all of
his or her tools and products without reaching beyond a
comfortable and safe range.
Ergonomics

3.  Use proper tools
 Keep repetitive motions to a minimum
 Avoid awkward postures
 Use safe lifting procedures
 Get proper rest
Ergonomics Principals

4.  OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labour.
 The administrator for OSHA is the Assistant Secretary of Labour
for Occupational Safety and Health.
 OSHA's administrator answers to the Secretary of Labour, who is
a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States.
 OSHA's Mission
 With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, to assure
safe and healthful working conditions for working men and
women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing
training, outreach, education and assistance.
Occupational Safety & Health
Administration - OSHA

5.  Department Having Risk factors:
 Cutting Department
 Sewing Department
 Pressing Department
 Finishing Department
Ergonomic Risk Factors –
Apparel Industry

6. Possible risk factors
 Hand postures
 Arm and back postures
 Repetition
Cutting Department

7.  Hand postures
Potential Hazard:
 Holding the wrists in an awkward position while cutting with scissors can
cause injury to the wrist.
Possible Solutions:
 Invest in tools designed to promote neutral joint postures (Fig 1).
Use electric, pneumatic, or otherwise partially automated tools.
Reduce the amount of force needed to operate tools by:
Keeping tools well maintained (i.e., oiled and cleaned), and
Instituting a tool sharpening program.
Institute job rotation through tasks that do not require cutting with scissors.
Cutting Department

8. Arm and back postures
Potential hazards
 While cutting material, employees often bend over a
table, which may cause low back injuries (Fig 2).
 Employees must extend their arms to cut through a
complete piece of fabric (Fig. 2).
Cutting Department

9.  Arm and back postures
Possible Solutions:
 Use shorter-width tables so workers do not have to bend and
reach so far (Fig 2).
 Provide height- and tilt-adjustable tables; tables should be set
at elbow height.
 Feed fabric to the worker rather than making the worker
reach for the fabric
 Use electric, pneumatic, or otherwise partially automated
tools (Fig 3).
Cutting Department
(Fig 3)(Fig 2)

10. Sewing involves taking cut material, placing it on the sewing
mount, then running it through a sewing machine. This operation
may require pinch grips and awkward arm, neck, and trunk
postures. Force may also be required to push fabric through the
machine. Some of the common risks and possible solutions
associated with stitching are listed below:
 Moving Material to/from Workstation
 Setting Up Material
 Manipulating Material
 Stitching Material
Sewing Department

11. Moving materials to/from workstation
 Potential hazards
Workers reach overhead (Figs. 1 & 2), to the side (Fig. 3), behind, or
down into tubs to pick up or place fabric. This action can cause
stress on the arms, neck, shoulders, and back.
Sewing Department
Fig. 1 Fig. 3Fig. 2

12. Moving materials to/from workstation
 Potential hazards
Workers bend/twist to pick up fabric (Fig. 4), which can hurt a
worker's back and shoulders.
Sewing Department
Fig. 4

13. Moving materials to/from workstation
 Possible solutions
 Minimize overhead reach by:
Lowering the rack (Fig. 5); or
Placing station on platform or
using height-adjustable portable clothing racks or tables.
 Minimize reaches to the side or behind associated with picking up new product or
placing completed fabric by:
placing fabric/bins closer to the worker (Fig. 6);
placing fabric/bins at table height;
using height-adjustable fabric containers;
adding an extension to work table; or
using an automated or conveyor system that transports the fabric
directly to and from the worker.
Sewing Department
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

14. Moving materials to/from workstation
 Possible solutions
 Use swivel chairs (Fig. 7), which allow workers to turn to get
bundles and pieces, rather than twisting to reach to the side or
behind. Swivelling can also make it easier for workers to sit
down and get up from the workstation.
Sewing Department
Fig. 7

15. Setting up material
Potential Hazard:
 When setting up material for stitching, workers may
have to flex or bend their necks to view the position
of the fabric.
Possible Solutions:
 Use automatic feeding and set up, which eliminates
the operator using awkward postures.
Sewing Department

16. Setting up material
 Possible Solutions:
 Provide proper lighting:
Use adjustable task lighting to make it easier for the
worker to see product during set up (Fig. 8).
Ensure bulbs are replaced frequently so they are
functional at all times.
Provide properly positioned general overhead lighting.
Sewing Department
Fig. 8

17. Manipulating material
 Potential Hazard:
 While manipulating fabric, employees repeatedly use a forceful pinch grip
(Fig. 9) between the thumb and index finger.
 Possible Solutions:
 Use friction-increasing aids (Fig. 10) on fingers to reduce amount of force
exerted in the pinch grip.
 Analyse tasks to determine force requirement and use job/task rotation
through tasks not requiring pinch grip.
Sewing Department
Fig. 10Fig. 9

18. Stitching material
 Potential Hazard:
Employees push fabric through the sewing machine, which may
require extending arms, bending at the waist, and applying force
(Fig. 11).
Sewing Department
Fig. 11

19. Stitching material
 Possible Solutions:
 Use height adjustable tables (Fig. 12), which, when properly
adjusted, may reduce arm extension and bending at the waist.
 Allow the machine to pull the fabric through rather than having
the operator push the fabric.
 Reduce the distance between the operator and the machine.
Sewing Department
Fig. 12

20.  Musculoskeletal problems often stem from poor work place or
job design. Among the most common examples of risky
activities include:
 heavy or awkward loads;
 difficulty in gripping;
 excessive use of force;
 repetition; and
 twisting and other awkward postures.
 Some of these problems linked to the textile industry are
outlined in more detail below, together with possible solutions
Manual Handling in Textile Industry –
The Problems

21.  Location
 Usually in delivery and storage areas
 Problems
 Bales are generally too heavy to be handled without mechanical help
 Manual movement of bales can present a serious risk of injury, even the
use of hand trucks should be kept to a minimum
 Solutions
 use more than one worker to do the job, particularly when getting the
bale onto a truck
 use hand hooks to grip the bale
 use lift and clamp trucks, roller conveyors, appropriate hand trucks
 maintain floor surfaces
Handling bales

22.  Location
 Packaging areas and close to carding and gilling machines
 Problems
 size, shape and weight of bundle (typically 9 to 22 kg)
 repetitive nature of the task
 reaching and stooped postures adopted when lifting from bins
 forces needed to pull and manoeuvre bundles before lifting
 container bins are often used to collect bundles before they are
transferred to packing containers - the worker has to lean and
reach into the bin to grasp the bundle
 the build-up of bundles also adds to the physical effort needed to
pull and lift them clear of the bin
Handling bundles of processed fibre

23.  Solutions
 improve access to the bundles, eg with removable sections on
the sides of collection bins
 ensure bundles can be lifted from waist height and close to the
body
 if possible, install a direct conveyor belt from the collector bin to
the packing container
 consider carefully the way work is organised, eg:
 move workers between a number of different jobs (job rotation)
 increase the range of tasks within a job to lengthen the handling cycle
(job enlargement)
 provide recovery time where handling is not used
Handling bundles of processed fibre

24.  Location
 often close to machinery, eg lifting to and from weaving machines
 in storage and despatch areas, eg lifting to and from shelves, racks, trolleys and
stillages
 in quality control areas, eg weighing
 Problems
 weight and size of roll
 awkward postures adopted due to lack of space (reaching)
 stooping and twisting, especially if lifting from a low level
 grasping difficulties, where it is often necessary to change the grip during the lift
 when lifting and handling in teams of two or more people:
 uneven distribution of weight between individuals
 differences in strength and stature
 difficulties in co-ordinating the lift
Handling rolls

25.  Solutions
 consider mechanical methods of handling the rolls, for example: a
conveyor
 mounting roller tracks on table tops means that the rolls can be
maintained at a comfortable working height
 the rolls rest on smooth, flat, lightweight boards, reducing friction, as
well as preventing the cloth from being damaged
 organise rolls according to weight so that heavier rolls are stored at a
convenient height for handling
Handling rolls

26.  Location
 Common to a number of intermediate stages of the
production process, eg moving cloth to or from machines,
inspection and quality control areas, including lifting to or
from weighing scales
 Problems
 the weight of the cloth
 its unstable nature, eg its tendency to sag, which results in
more effort when lifting onto raised surfaces because arms
must be raised so much higher than the work surface
 the difficulties of ensuring a firm grasp on the load
 the problems associated with people lifting in teams
Handling loosely folded cloth

27.  Solutions
 a lightweight ‘stretcher-board’ which not only reduces the distance
through which the load is lifted but also improves its stability and
provides for a more even distribution of weight between two lifters
(the board also has suitably designed hand-holds which improve grip
and the ability to apply the necessary force during the lift)
 a weighing scale mounted into the floor close to the workstation -
rather than transferring cloth onto weighing scales and then putting
it onto storage trolleys, the loaded trolley can be wheeled onto the
scale for the cloth to be weighed, removing the need to lift the cloth
Handling loosely folded cloth

28.  Location
 Mainly in delivery and storage areas, including to and
from vehicles
 Problems
 size, shape and weight of boxes
 awkward and constrained postures when lifting to and
from storage racks
 difficulty grasping the load securely
Handling boxes

29.  Solutions
 consider mounting weighing scales in the floor or, alternatively,
increasing the height of the surrounding work area to bring it in line
with the height of the weighing scales
 conveyor belts offer flexible and effective means by which to
transport packaged material over long distances - these can be
powered or non-powered and are available with flexible telescopic
arms which can be adjusted to suit a range of different applications
(the angle of the extended arm can be easily adjusted to suit the
height at which the boxes are passed to the conveyor belt)
 speak to suppliers to try and identify a packaging design that best
suits the manual handling devices available
Handling boxes

30.  Location
 Found in most areas but particularly common close to machinery
 Problems
 Awkward trunk postures when lifting from the bottom of bins, trolleys
with rigid sides (eg bucket trolleys)
 Solutions
 trolley fitted with a self-levelling base
 the base is suspended from each corner of the trolley by four springs and,
as material is removed, the suspended base rises, maintaining a constant
height from which to lift (the opposite occurs when material is added)
 an inner lining prevents material from being caught in the springs - spring
tension can be varied depending on the weight of the material being
carried
Lifting to and from bins, trolleys and
machinery

31.  Location
 Cones of spun yarn being removed from a conveyor and replaced
by empty bobbins
 Problems
 Awkward postures, eg bending and reaching sideways into the
bottom of the stillage
 Solutions
 tilting platforms enable both trolleys to be angled towards the
worker allowing easier access to the contents
 raising the height of the conveyor track and providing suitable
seating also improve the posture the person adopts throughout
the handling operation
Handling of cones to and from boxes

32.  Problems
 Awkward handling postures
 Solutions
 A simple purpose-made trolley, ie a trolley with its base
at the same level as the raised storage shelf, making the
transfer of drums easier (this kind of trolley can only
help where the floor is suitable; the wheels will need to
be maintained so that they run smoothly)
Moving drums of dye

33.  Problems
 Awkward and forceful postures often stem from the
way people interact with machinery
 Solutions
 Modifying machinery is expensive but simple tools to
assist handling can provide a cost-effective alternative,
eg hand tool designed to lock onto the head of the
bobbin allows the hand and arm to adopt much more
suitable positions
Working around machinery

34.  Solutions
 use a mechanical handling device suspended from an
overhead support or rail that grips the centre of the package
and, by balancing and supporting the load, helps with lifting
and manoeuvring the packages
 it is important to consider the size of individual users in
relation to the machinery that they operate
 if one person has responsibility for one or several pieces of
machinery, then ensure that the handling aids provided are
suitable for the individual
 where several operators use the same machinery, then
consider handling aids which can be adjusted easily
Handling heavy yarn packages

35.  Musculosketal disorders (MSDs) are one of the biggest causes of
injuries in textiles.
 Injury and health problems show up in different ways, such as:
 injury to backs and limbs
 aches and pains
 poor product quality
 high material waste
 low output
 frequent worker complaints and rest stops
 do-it-yourself improvements to workstations and tools (eg seat
padding)
 workers wearing bandages, splints, rub-ons, copper bracelets or
magnets
Manual handling and
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

36.  The term MSD covers any injury, damage or disorder of the joints
or other tissues in the upper/lower limbs or the back. This
website provides advice to prevent and manage MSDs, including
tools to assess the risks of manual handling and repetitive tasks.
 Musculoskeletal disorders may be characterized by pain,
numbness, and a lack of mobility in the affected area, usually the
hands, shoulders, and back.
Musculoskeletal disorders

37.  Upper limb disorders
 Lower limb disorders
 Back pain
 Other conditions (HAVS, RSI, WBV etc)
Types of
Musculoskeletal disorders

38.  Upper limb disorders (ULDs) affect the arms, from fingers to
shoulder, and neck. They are often called repetitive strain
injuries, 'RSI', cumulative trauma disorder or occupational
overuse syndrome.
 Are aches, pains, tension and disorders involving any part of the
arm from fingers to shoulder, or the neck
 include problems with the soft tissues muscles, tendons and
ligaments, along with the circulatory and nerve supply to the
limb; and
 are often caused or made worse by work
 The way the work is organised and managed can make a
significant contribution to reducing the risk of ULDs as well as
make them worse.
Upper limb disorders

39.  tenderness
 aches and pain
 stiffness
 weakness
 tingling
 numbness
 cramp
 swelling
Upper limb disorders –
Symptoms

40.  Repetitive work
 Uncomfortable working postures
 Sustained or excessive force
 Carrying out a task for a long period of time
 Poor working environment and organisation (eg temperature, lighting
and work pressure, job demands, work breaks or lack of them)
 Individual differences and susceptibility (some workers are more
affected by certain risks)
 The way the work is organised and managed can make a significant
contribution to reducing the risk of ULDs as well as make them worse.
 Workers may be more likely to suffer an upper limb problem if exposed
to more than one risk factor.
Upper limb disorders –
Causes

41.  Because most injury happens as a result of incorrect
posture, working in unusual positions, or heavy
lifting/carrying the most effective way to reduce the risk is
to:
 Provide/use mechanical aids
 rotate staff to reduce the time spent carrying out a 'risky' task
and give time for recovery
 have regular breaks
 Where possible, provide proper seating and risk assess
workstations to identify potential problems and tackle those
problems – particularly where you are using a computer or
other piece of static equipment.
Upper limb disorders –
Preventions

42.  Lower limb disorders (LLDs) affect the legs from hips
to toes. The most common risk factors at work are:
 repetitive kneeling and/or squatting
 fixed postures such as standing for more than two hours
without a break
 frequent jumping from a height
Lower limb disorders

43.  Lower Limb Disorders (LLDs) at work affect the hips, knees and
legs and usually happen because of overuse - workers may
report lower limb pain, aching and numbness without a specific
disease being identified.
 Acute injury caused by a violent impact or extreme force is less
common. However, athletes and military personnel are more
prone to these injuries so workers who take part in these
activities may report them at work.
 Scientific evidence suggests that there are several recognised
diseases of the lower limb which can be work related such as:
hip and knee osteoarthritis; knee bursitis, meniscal lesions/tears;
stress fracture/reaction injury and varicose veins of the lower
legs.
Lower limb disorders –
Causes

44.  Pain, tenderness or stiffness of the joint, unable to
straighten or bend those joints.
 Tenderness aches and pains, stiffness, weakness,
tingling, numbness, cramp and swelling to
the muscles of the lower limbs.
 These symptoms may suggest overuse or some
underlying condition and, if you are concerned, seek
advice from your Doctor.
Lower limb disorders –
Symptoms

45.  Because most injury happens as a result of overuse, the most
effective way to reduce the risk is to avoid overuse by
providing/using mechanical aids or rotate duties to reduce the time
spent carrying out a 'risky' task and give time for recovery.
 Where possible, provide seating rather than requiring squatting or
kneeling and have regular breaks. Provide personal protective
equipment such as:
 Knee pads to protect the knee while kneeling on hard floor surfaces and
preventing lacerations and penetrating injuries and improving comfort.
 Anti-fatigue matting may be effective in reducing the risks from
prolonged standing. But using the mats in the workplace requires
careful consideration because of the increased risk from slips and trips.
 Shock absorbing insoles and modified shoes: There is limited evidence
that using these aids reduces the risk. The positive effects are mainly in
respect of injuries from vertical impact loads.
Lower limb disorders –
Preventions

46.  Low back pain is common and can be extremely painful. It can be
difficult to cope with the severe pain but fortunately it is rarely due
to serious disease. There are things that employers and workers can
do to manage back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders
(MSDs), in the workplace. People can be helped to remain in work
or helped to make an earlier return to work.
 Most back pain is not caused by any serious damage or disease. The
pain usually improves within a few weeks, at least enough to allow
you to get on with your life.
 Suffering from back pain does not mean you must automatically be
off work. Inactivity and bed rest can increase the chance of disability
so it is in your interest to remain active unless your doctor tells you
not to.
Back pain

47.  Difficulty passing or controlling urine
 Numbness around your back passage or genitals
 Numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in both
legs
 Unsteadiness on your feet
Back pain – Symptoms

48.  Take steps to reduce the risk of back pain in the workplace.
 You could:
 Think about how you can make jobs physically easier, e.g. by
moving loads on wheels, providing better handles on loads,
adjusting heights of worktops etc.
 Consult regularly with the employees on their health and well
being to help you identify concerns and developing trends.
 Take actions to address any outcomes from these discussions.
 Respond promptly when an individual worker reports back
pain
 Do risk assessments – and make changes where needed.
Back pain – Preventions

49.  Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) -
 This is usually an upper limb disorder caused by doing the same task (typing,
twisting, bending etc) over and over again. It can be more damaging where a
load is involved in the task.
 Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) -
 This is usually the result of using hand-held power tools regularly.
 Symptoms include tingling and numbness in the fingers (which can cause
sleep disturbance), loss of feeling/strength in fingers or the tips of the fingers
going white, particularly in cold weather.
 If you continue to use high-vibration tools these symptoms will probably get
worse, and could result in more frequent symptoms or permanent numbness
in your hands and lost feeling which could lead to difficulty picking up small
objects such as screws or nails
 Vibration White Finger - Another name for HAVS.
Other conditions

50.  Osteoarthritis –
 This is the most common form of arthritis, although it
usually occurs in older people, it's often caused by wear
and tear.
 It can be the result of joint damage from an injury or the
repair that occurs after the injury.
 Osteoarthritis usually occurs in the last joints of the
fingers, at the base of the thumb, in the knees, big toes
and feet.
 An injury at any stage in life can cause arthritis.
Other conditions

51.  Carpel tunnel syndrome (CTS) -
 This is a relatively common condition that causes pain,
numbness and a burning or tingling sensation in the hand and
fingers.
 The carpal tunnel is a small tunnel that runs from the bottom of
the wrist to the lower palm. Several tendons that help to move
the fingers pass through the carpal tunnel as does the median
nerve, which controls sensation and movement of your hand.
 Examples of activities that may lead to CTS include:
 playing a musical instrument
 Assembly packing
 using a computer keyboard
 craftwork (making decorative items by hand)
 work that involves manual labour
Other conditions

52.  Provide Management Support
 Involve Workers
 Provide Training
 Identify Problems
 Encourage Early Reporting of MSD Symptoms
 Implement Solutions to Control Hazards
 Evaluate Progress
Process for Protecting Workers

53.  Many industries have successfully implemented ergonomic
solutions in their facilities as a way to address their workers'
MSD injury risks.
 These interventions have included modifying existing
equipment, making changes in work practices and purchasing
new tools or other devices to assist in the production process.
 Making these changes has reduced physical demands,
eliminated unnecessary movements, lowered injury rates and
their associated workers' compensation costs and reduced
employee turnover.
 In many cases, work efficiency and productivity have increased
as well. Simple, low-cost solutions are often available to solve
problems.
Solutions to Control Hazards

54.  To reduce the chance of injury, work tasks should be designed to
limit exposure to ergonomic risk factors. Where possible,
engineering controls are the most desirable.
 Administrative or work practice controls may be appropriate in
some cases where engineering controls cannot be implemented
or when different procedures are needed after implementation
of the new engineering controls.
 Personal protection solutions have only limited effectiveness
when dealing with ergonomic hazards.
Overview of Controls for MSD
Hazards

55. Overview of Controls for MSD
Hazards

56.  Engineering Controls
 implement physical change to the workplace, which
eliminates/reduces the hazard on the job/task
 E.g:
 Use a device to lift and reposition heavy objects to limit force
exertion
 Reduce the weight of a load to limit force exertion
 Reposition a work table to eliminate a long/excessive reach and
enable working in neutral postures
 Use diverging conveyors off a main line so that tasks are less
repetitive
 Install diverters on conveyors to direct materials toward the
worker to eliminate excessive leaning or reaching
 Redesign tools to enable neutral postures
Overview of Controls for MSD
Hazards

57.  Administrative and Work Practice Controls
 establish efficient processes or procedures
 E.g:
 Require that heavy loads are only lifted by two people to limit
force exertion
 Establish systems so workers are rotated away from tasks to
minimize the duration of continual exertion, repetitive
motions, and awkward postures. Design a job rotation system
in which employees rotate between jobs that use different
muscle groups
 Staff "floaters" to provide periodic breaks between
scheduled breaks
 Properly use and maintain pneumatic and power tools
Overview of Controls for MSD
Hazards

58.  Personal Protective Equipment
 use protection to reduce exposure to ergonomics-related risk factors
 E.g:
 Use padding to reduce direct contact with hard, sharp, or vibrating
surfaces
 Wear good fitting thermal gloves to help with cold conditions while
maintaining the ability to grasp items easily
Overview of Controls for MSD
Hazards

59.  http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/Ergonomics/Resourc
es-general.asp
 http://www.hse.gov.uk/textiles/textiles-and-manual-
handling.htm
 http://www.hse.gov.uk/textiles/manual-handling.htm
 http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/index.htm
 https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/controlhazards.ht
ml
 Ergonomics for Beginners (3rd Edition)– Jan Dul and
Bernard Weerdmeester
 Introduction to Ergonomics (3rd Edition)– R.S Bridger
References

60. Thank You